BlushPretty: Make-up Artistry Weblog

Is My Makeup Water Resistant?

Makeup and Hair by Stephanie Daga
Photo by Jocelyn Lopez

So you've applied your makeup perfectly ... and now you're going to spritz water all over it?

It may seem odd, yes, but those large oversized can of Evian Mineral Water can freshen up your makeup and wake you up.

On a hot day, a quick spray will help tone and moisturize the skin. On a long plane ride it can help reduce the effects that inexcusable dry cabin air. It's effective against irritation, dryness and itchy skin.  It works wonders.

Here are a few ways to use Evian Spray:

- in the morning, spray the face to reduce redness and to awaken the senses;

- when dry office air makes your skin feel tired, spritz away;

- after a quick workout use a little over the face and body to remove impurities caused by sweating; or

- finish your makeup look with some powder then mist with water to set and soften your makeup!

Quite useful, it's worth investing in.  You can purchase a large bottle or invest in a mini three pack which is perfect for travel!

-bp-

Big Mama!

Photo by Magdalena M.
Makeup and Hair by BlushPretty
Clothing by Maternite et apres

It's been 4.5 months since my second child was born ...

I have my good days and my bad days.  Days when I feel fit and trim; days when I feel like I should have lost the baby weight already.  (I have five to seven pounds to go.)

The last five pounds are always the hardest.  Even if everyone else says you look great, thinking about that little bit of weight left over is enough to dampen your mood for days on end.  There is no way to lose the baby weight other than eating well and exercising - and that takes time.  While you are "weighting" to shed those last five, here are some beauty pick me ups to help you get through.

Exfoliate and Moisturize: A good scrub and slather will make your skin feel rejuvenated and refreshed.  Take some time each week to slough away dull and dead skin.  Finish with moisturizer. Glowing, healthy skin will make you forget about the extra weight.

Cut off the Weight: No - not surgery - through a haircut.  By the third or fourth month after birth, your hair is probably shedding already anyway.  You can fix that problem and remove weight from the hair just by getting a cut and style.  For some reason a haircut makes your entire self feel lighter - your face is lifted, your hair has bounce - what's not to love!

Rely on Water: On demand breastfeeding, lack of sleep, no time to eat ... of course you are going to feel rundown and burnt out.  The proper remedy to this is to take naps and to eat well - but with a new baby - IT IS SO NOT POSSIBLE.  When you can't nap or eat a decent meal, refresh yourself with plenty of H2O until you can.  Try not to rely on caffeine or fast food - they won't help that whole weight thing.

Here's to you and losing the last five.  I'm with you every step of the way!

-bp-

Yummy Mummy Saturday: Bouncing Babies and Bouncing Back

Photo by Me!

If you read my blog often, you know that my newborn son Callum was born just over one month ago ... well, I guess he isn't so newborn anymore ... which means, its time to bounce back from the past nine months.

So how does a mom do it when her time is no longer her own?  Well, as bp revamps this site for the new year, Saturday posts are dedicated to moms who are bouncing back, moms with more than one baby to take care of, and moms who work around the clock.  Saturdays are all about you and how to stay yummy!

Getting back to Callum, given that he was born close to the new year, I used January 1st as the date where I was no longer allowed to use the excuse "I just had a baby".  Like any other woman who's been pregnant, one of my concerns is fitting back into my clothes within the next couple of months.  While I can fit into most of them, there are still some dresses I'm dying to wear again.  But who has time to exercise?  Between Brayden and Callum, I have ten minutes.

In the current issue of Glamour, there was a snippet about a woman who did the bare minimum of exercise every morning - 10 push-ups.  She said within weeks, she was up to a few sets of pushups and her husband noticed a change in her body tone.  It took her all of 5 minutes every morning.  So I decided to try it.

On January 1, I woke up and did three sets of 10 push-ups and three sets of 15 sit-ups.  I'm still doing it today.  The verdict?  I can do all three sets with ease; I have more energy; the kink in my back from the pregnancy weight is almost gone; my body tone has improved; and I feel better in my clothes.

Obviously, I will need to do more to lose all the weight, but I'm finally moving in the right direction.  This quick five minute routine every morning proves that even a little bit helps.  

Anyway, as you lose the weight, your skin has to bounce back too.  There are many lotions out there that will assist you with maintaining your skin's moisture but more importantly, its elasticity.  However, right now I'm favouring something else.  Try smoothing on Johnson's Baby Oil Gel with aloe vera and vitamin E.  I smooth this on after a shower (if you can call the two minutes I get to take one that) - it locks in moisture, absorbs quicker than regular oil, and my skin feels smooth all day.

- bp -